I found out through the Habanos news that the Cohiba Year has already kicked off, and the piece that opens it is the Cohiba Talismán, presented in London. Honestly, it got me excited: the most iconic brand in premium cigars is turning 60, and this launch is the first big milestone of the celebration.
What caught my attention most is that the Talismán, born in 2017 as an Edición Limitada, is now joining the regular portfolio as the ninth vitola of the Línea Clásica. It comes in a 10-count Boîte Nature box with NFC technology in the warranty seal to verify authenticity, plus a foot band bearing the vitola's name. Details that aficionados love.
As for the smoke, it comes in the Sublimes No. 1 vitola, 54 ring gauge by 154 mm, medium to full strength, with a smoking time of about 60 to 90 minutes. The tasting notes speak of wood, dense smoke and a final third with light hints of roasted coffee.
For those of us who collect, it's one of those pieces that makes you want to put a box away. The recommended price is 600 GBP for the box of 3, exclusive to the United Kingdom, and the box of 10 will be rolling out progressively worldwide. I'll be keeping an eye out for it at my usual shop.
Source: Habanos, S.A.
At the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, one of the key gatherings for duty free and travel retail, Habanos, S.A. unveiled the Montecristo Fragata. It is a travel humidor designed specifically for these sales channels.
The humidor holds 20 cigars in a new vitola added to the brand's range. It comes in the Duke format, with a 54 ring gauge and a length of 140 millimeters, and it carries the classic Montecristo blend, with strength from medium to full. The cigars are entirely handmade with long filler, using leaves from Vuelta Abajo in the Pinar del Rio region. Each one wears a special band bearing the vitola's name.
The name is a fitting one. A fragata is a sailing ship, and ships play a key role in The Count of Monte Cristo, the novel that gave the brand its name when it was founded in Havana in 1935. Montecristo has just marked its 90th anniversary, and the Fragata is meant to carry the theme of travel forward.
Habanos vice president Jose Maria Lopez recalls that the company has offered products exclusively for duty free and travel retail for 20 years, and there are now nearly twenty such offers. The Fragata will be sold only through these channels.
I like the idea of a humidor designed as a travel companion. Anyone who travels often knows how hard it is to get good cigars through luggage and airports in one piece. Still, "only in duty free" also means that if you do not pass through a suitable airport, it will be hard to find.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
In September, Habanos unveiled a cigar with special meaning for the Trinidad brand: the Trinidad Vigía Reserva Cosecha 2022. It is the first Reserva in Trinidad's history since the brand was founded in 1969.
What makes this cigar special is its rarity and aging. Only 5,000 individually numbered boxes of 20 cigars will be released worldwide, along with 5,000 gift boxes of 3. The leaves have been aged for at least three additional years, and the band contains NFC technology that lets enthusiasts check product information and verify authenticity.
The launch took place on September 19 at the Fairmont Montreux Palace in Montreux, Switzerland. Habanos and its Swiss exclusive distributor Intertabak co-hosted the event, which drew about 300 guests. The highlight of the evening was pairing the cigar with The Dalmore King Alexander III whisky.
In terms of specs, the ring gauge is 54, the length is 110 mm, and the strength is medium. It is made at the Torres factory, in a straight shape with a pigtail cap. The official tasting notes describe cedar and toasted hazelnut aromas before lighting. The start is smooth and creamy, the middle brings dark cocoa, sweet spices and roasted coffee, and the finish offers aged leather with a touch of white pepper. It smokes for about 50 minutes.
Suggested retail prices are US$3,800 (3,276 euros) for the box of 20 and US$660 (570 euros) for the gift box of 3. Actual prices may vary by market.
What I find interesting is that Trinidad began as a brand for gifting to heads of state. Now, with its first Reserva, it feels like a return to that old path of rarity. The price is certainly out of reach for most people, but I think it is appealing to see a brand tell its story through aging and traceability.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
On October 7 in London, Habanos added the Cohiba Talismán to its permanent range, kicking off the "Year of Cohiba" that will mark the brand's 60th anniversary. The brand dates back to 1966.
A limited edition in 2017, the Talismán is now the ninth vitola in the Línea Clásica, the first line ever created for Cohiba. It comes in a 10-cigar "Boîte Nature" box with an NFC chip on the inner label to verify authenticity, and a foot ring that shows the vitola name. A 3-cigar gift box is reserved for the UK. This new packaging is expected to gradually roll out across the rest of the range.
For the specs: factory name Sublimes No. 1, ring gauge 54 for 154 mm, parejo shape with a pigtail cap, medium to full strength, and 60 to 90 minutes of smoking time. The official tasting notes describe an excellent draw, dense smoke, a compact ash, woody notes that grow stronger, and touches of roasted coffee in the final third.
About 400 guests attended the evening, with cocktails made with The Dalmore and Eminente Rum. Hunters & Frankau, the British distributor, pointed out that London had already hosted several landmark Cohiba launches, including the Línea 1492 in 1993 and the Behike in 2010.
What stays with me is the house's message: the Talismán is only the beginning of a year of new releases. We'll see which ones follow, especially since the anniversary program was shaken up earlier this year.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
Habanos, S.A. has officially opened what it calls the Ano Cohiba, or Cohiba Year, with the global launch of the Cohiba Talismán in London on the evening of October 7. It is the first major milestone in the celebrations of Cohiba's 60th anniversary; the brand was created in 1966.
The Talismán was born in 2017 as a Limited Edition and now joins the regular portfolio as the ninth vitola of the Línea Clásica. It arrives in new packaging, a Boîte Nature box of 10 cigars, and NFC technology on the inner label to verify authenticity. There is also a foot band with the vitola's name.
In size, the factory name is Sublimes No. 1, ring gauge 54, length 154 mm, straight shape with pigtail head. Strength ranges from medium to full, and smoking time is about 60 to 90 minutes. The official notes mention a good draw, dense smoke, a compact ash, woody notes that intensify, and roasted coffee in the final third.
The event drew about 400 guests, including distributors, press and enthusiasts, with cocktails from The Dalmore and Eminente Rum. Hunters & Frankau, the UK distributor, noted that London has already hosted historic launches for the brand, such as the Línea 1492 and the Behike. A Habanos executive said the Talismán is only the beginning of a year full of news.
For those who follow Cohiba, it is good news to see a popular edition become a permanent part of the line. The open questions are how much it will cost and whether it will be easy to find.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
A partnership announced this week caught my eye because it is about the least glamorous part of the cigar business, the farm, and I think that is exactly why it matters. CLE Cigar Co. and Florida International University have signed an agreement creating the Eiroa Innovation Fund, which will work with FIU's Agroecology Program.
Christian Eiroa, founder of CLE, says the work will focus on three things: cheaper tobacco barns, shorter curing times, and lower growing costs no matter where the tobacco is grown. The aim is to make it easier for smaller growers to take up the dark air-cured tobacco used in handmade cigars.
The barn is the starting point. A typical one begins at around 70,000 dollars, which is enough to put many small farms off. The plan is to test refrigerated shipping containers as an alternative, in the hope that they also cut the time leaves spend hanging, possibly by nearly half.
The new CLE Research Lab will sit on an FIU property in Redlands, Florida, about 20 miles from Miami. The first step is to build one container barn, and only after that to plant wrapper and filler tobacco as a test. Eiroa's long-term goal is for growing costs in the United States to match those in Central America. Two researchers, Daphne K. Sugino Souffront and Jordan Prats, will lead the lab, and the financial terms were not disclosed.
Personally I find this more interesting than most product launches. Anything that lowers the barrier for small growers could eventually show up in what ends up in our humidors.
Source: halfwheel
Habanos, S.A. has unveiled the Trinidad Vigía Reserva Cosecha 2022, the first Reserva in the history of Trinidad, a brand created in 1969 that initially made cigars for official gifts to heads of state.
What makes this cigar special is the combination of rarity and aging. There will be only 5,000 numbered boxes of 20 cigars and 5,000 gift boxes of 3. The leaves have been aged for at least three additional years, and the band includes NFC technology for checking product information and verifying that the cigar is authentic.
The global launch took place on September 19 at the Fairmont Montreux Palace in Montreux, Switzerland. About 300 guests attended, organized by Habanos together with Intertabak, its distributor in Switzerland. The highlight of the night was the pairing with The Dalmore King Alexander III whisky.
In numbers: ring gauge 54, length 110 mm, medium strength, Torres factory, straight shape with pigtail head. The official notes describe cedar and toasted hazelnut at the start, then bitter cocoa, sweet spices and roasted coffee, and finally aged leather with a touch of white pepper, for about 50 minutes of smoking.
Suggested prices are US$3,800 (3,276 euros) for the box of 20 and US$660 (570 euros) for the gift box of 3, and may vary by market.
I'll admit the price is well beyond my reach, but I like the idea of a discreet brand like Trinidad opening a new chapter with something so focused on aging and traceability.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
One of the best-known names in cigars was missing from Intertabac last year, and this year it came back in style. Arturo Fuente returned to the trade fair after a one-year absence and, by the account of Cigar Journal, picked up right where it left off with one of the most crowded booths of Intertabac 2026.
Part of that is simply the pull of Carlito Fuente himself. People queue for photos with him, yet he still found time to talk with the specialist press and with distributors who came from around the world. It is the kind of detail that explains why a family brand can feel so personal even at a huge trade show.
There was a trophy moment too. Carlito appeared on the Cigar Trophy stage when Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente was named Best Brand Dominican Republic.
I like stories like this because they show how much of the cigar world still runs on relationships. A brand skips a show, the aficionados notice, and when it returns the booth fills up. Whatever you smoke, it is good to see the familiar faces back where they belong.
Source: Cigar Journal
For a few months the German cigar trade has been bracing for the worst. A big overhaul of tobacco taxes was planned for 2027 to 2030, and the early proposal would have multiplied the ad valorem rate on cigars about fourteen times over. This week there is finally some good news.
According to a report citing Bild, the governing CDU/CSU parties have agreed on a softened version. The ad valorem rate on cigars would go from 1.74 percent of the retail price to 3.83 percent, instead of the 21.05 percent that was floated before. By 2030 the specific duty is said to rise from 1.4 cents to 2.85 cents, and the minimum tax before VAT from 7.504 cents to 13.96 cents.
Pipe smokers are not off the hook, but they are spared the worst as well. Pipe tobacco would go from 26 euros per kilo to 71.50 euros, which is still well under half of the 172 euros that had been proposed.
Why does this matter beyond Germany? Because it is one of the most important cigar markets anywhere. Low taxes, transparent pricing and an open market make it a leading destination for both Cuban and non-Cuban cigars, and Habanos has described it as its fifth largest market. For many non-Cuban makers it sits in the top three outside the United States.
It is not final yet. The plan still has to be debated and approved in the Bundestag, and a finished bill is expected later next week. I will be watching that closely, but for now it is nice to see a tax fight end with something other than a disaster for smokers of cigars and pipes.
Source: halfwheel
Early this year Habanos presented the Trinidad Corcel vitola, the brand's first special release created for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Its inspiration is the horse, a symbol of strength and an untamed spirit.
The world premiere took place on January 29, 2026, in the Emerald and Pearl Pavilion of the Hopewell Hotel in Hong Kong, organized by Pacific Cigar Corporation, Habanos' official distributor. More than 180 enthusiasts from several countries attended, and the vitola will gradually spread to other markets in the coming months.
Trinidad Corcel measures 55 x 135 mm. It is a parejo with a pigtail head and medium strength. It is made with leaves from Vuelta Abajo in Pinar del Rio, at the Patricios factory. It comes in numbered boxes of 18 with NFC technology for checking product information and verifying authenticity.
The official tasting notes describe a reddish, silky wrapper and a first third with delicate honey notes alongside woody aromas, with fresh and balanced smoke. Pacific Cigar Corporation's director, Dag Holmboe, described it as a tribute to a rich cultural tradition and to the spirit of the horse.
I like that Habanos looks toward Asia with editions designed for its celebrations, and that it does so with a vitola of calm character rather than something flashy. That said, releases like this tend to arrive in small amounts, so we will have to see when it appears outside Hong Kong.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
At the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, one of the most important gatherings for duty free and travel retail, Habanos, S.A. unveiled the Montecristo Fragata. It is a travel humidor developed specifically for these sales channels.
The humidor holds 20 cigars in a new vitola added to the brand's portfolio. It is a Duke format with a 54 ring gauge and a length of 140 millimeters, and it carries the classic Montecristo blend, with strength ranging from medium to full. The cigars are fully handmade with long filler and use leaves from Vuelta Abajo in the Pinar del Rio region. Each one wears a special band bearing the name of the vitola.
The name is a nice choice. A fragata is a sailing ship, and ships play an important role in The Count of Monte Cristo, the novel that gave the brand its name when it was founded in Havana in 1935. Montecristo has just celebrated its 90th anniversary, and the Fragata is meant to carry the theme of travel forward.
Habanos vice president Jose Maria Lopez points out that the company has offered exclusive products for duty free and travel retail for 20 years, and that there are now close to 20 such offerings. The Fragata will be sold only through these channels.
I like the idea of thinking of a humidor as a travel companion from the start. Anyone who travels a lot knows the problem of getting good cigars safely through suitcases and airports. Still, "only in duty free" also means that if you do not pass through a suitable airport, you will find it hard to get hold of.
Source: PR Newswire (Habanos, S.A.)
